"Mimi, don't say I hide everything from you. Come pick someone up with me."
Da Mimi was speechless. "You want me to carry bags and run errands, don't you?"
Over the past few days, she had truly seen how Shen Shanden stopped treating people like people when he was working.
Zhou Qifeng had been running around nonstop—to China Film Group, Beijing Film Academy, and all the major universities. He was practically never around.
Shen Shanden said, "Fine. I originally thought you were quite suitable for the female lead."
"Yes, Brother Shen, Brother Deng, let's go right away." Without a second thought, Da Mimi surrendered on the spot.
Shen Shanden frowned. "What should you call me?"
"Yes, sir!" Da Mimi fought the urge to roll her eyes. What kind of twisted hobby was this?
Shen Shanden had given his secondhand Accord to Zhou Qifeng and rented a silver-gray Buick GL8 in the crew's name.
Save where they should save, spend where they should spend.
A ten-million production was considered a medium-to-high-budget project these days. Business hospitality could not be too shabby.
To show how much importance he attached to this, Shen Shanden drove personally, while Da Mimi sat in the front passenger seat.
Shen Shanden was quite skilled behind the wheel. He had an air of casual control about him, habitually steering with one hand while resting the other on the gearshift.
And he did not forget to have a little fun.
"Xiao Yang, as my woman, what is most important?"
Da Mimi opened her mouth several times before ultimately choosing to endure the humiliation. "Obedience!"
Shen Shanden said, "Obedience to whom?"
Da Mimi said, "Obedience to you, sir! I'll do the housework and devote myself wholeheartedly; wash dishes and bowls, ready for your command; set the air conditioner to whatever temperature you desire! The toilet seat? It will always stand at attention before you, sir!"
Shen Shanden nodded in satisfaction. "Good! Keep it up, soldier!"
Da Mimi looked out the window, her eyes nearly rolling all the way upward.
By the time they picked up Wu Jing, it was already close to six.
The bustle of the Capital Airport arrivals hall hit them head-on, mixed with the sound of announcements.
Shen Shanden's sharp gaze searched through the crowd.
He quickly spotted two familiar figures. One was Ma Youde, while the other was the young Wolf Warrior, Wu Jing.
With a travel bag slung over his back, Wu Jing was looking around somewhat blankly.
"Brother Jing! Over here!"
Shen Shanden called out and quickened his pace, almost jogging over to help Wu Jing with his luggage.
Da Mimi, following behind him, secretly curled her lip. That face-changing speed was faster than turning the pages of a book.
"Director Shen! You're too polite, too polite!"
Once Wu Jing confirmed that it was Shen Shanden, he hurriedly waved his hands and tried to hide the luggage behind his back.
Ma Youde quickly said, "Boss, I'll do it. I'll do it."
Shen Shanden insisted on carrying Wu Jing's bag. "Brother Jing, stop calling me Director Shen. Just call me Xiao Shen. Don't say another word. Your arrival is timely help for your brother here."
"I'm not carrying this bag just for you. I'm carrying it for the future of our domestic action films, for the future of Chinese Cinema. Your arrival is also support for Director Han's work."
Wu Jing was left at a loss by Shen Shanden's enthusiasm and the high praise he was heaping on him. He could only thank him repeatedly.
A surge of emotion rose within him. Even if this was just an act, it was respect he had not experienced in years.
The warmth in his chest and that long-lost feeling of being valued grew even stronger.
A man would die for one who understood him. Wu Jing made up his mind to contribute everything he could to Shen Shanden's film.
The group headed toward the parking lot.
Shen Shanden pulled open the door and gestured for Wu Jing to take the spacious, comfortable second-row seat. "Brother Wu, please take the seat of honor! Da Mimi, you go sit in the front."
He personally accompanied Wu Jing while Ma Youde drove.
Shen Shanden suggested, "Brother Jing, let's get something to eat first. Food is already prepared at home. If we hit the evening rush hour, we probably won't get back until eight or nine."
"No, no, Brother Shen, I'm really not hungry. I ate on the plane." Wu Jing hurriedly said, "Brother Shen, don't be so formal. You can call me A-Jing or Jingzi."
"How about I call you Brother Wu, then?" Shen Shanden could tell that Jingzi had a fairly honest personality.
Wu Jing said, "That would be excellent."
Da Mimi watched from the side, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
This rookie Wu Jing was probably doomed to fall into his clutches.
Shen Shanden was simply too good at talking people around. Everyone around him was wrapped around his finger.
Without wasting any time, Shen Shanden began discussing The Grand Director project with Wu Jing on the road.
"Because of an article, I caught the director's attention. He was prepared to hear the opinions of a young comrade like me."
Wu Jing asked, "Third Master Han?"
"Mm." Shen Shanden nodded lightly.
Wu Jing was secretly astonished.
Shen Shanden continued, "I laid out the stakes, and the Big Three Directors all fell silent. Hong Kong and Taiwan directors cannot capture the grandeur of history. Costume blockbusters are at a critical juncture, action films are at a critical juncture, and Chinese Cinema is at a critical juncture!"
"The director felt the same way. It was time for reform, so he asked about the Brotherhood of Blades project I was preparing. With a budget of one hundred million, I introduced it as a costume blockbuster rooted in Chinese history and infused with the soul of China."
"At the time, the director expressed his full support."
This was Da Mimi's first time hearing the details. Why did the whole process sound like a TV drama?
Why would someone like Han Sanping meet Shen Shanden?
And after meeting him, why would he value him so highly?
The crucial details had not been mentioned.
Wu Jing was deeply shaken once again. If it was true, then this was too incredible.
"But Brotherhood of Blades seems to have been shelved?" Wu Jing asked curiously, his tone carrying a hint of probing.
Shen Shanden was simply too good at talking. Wu Jing had been through his share of hardships and had begun doubting whether the project was real.
Shen Shanden's tone turned indignant. "Because there are bad people in China Film Group, and bad people in Beijing Film Studio. A bunch of useless freeloaders who do nothing themselves and cannot stand seeing others do anything."
"A man like Brother Wu, with kung fu, acting skills, and good looks, can only leave his hometown and live under someone else's roof. It's all because of those people."
Wu Jing could not help sighing inwardly. Shen Shanden's words had struck straight at his heart.
If he had the opportunity, who would want to live at someone else's mercy?
Shen Shanden began talking about the project. This was the key, the thing that would determine whether Wu Jing could truly settle down and give everything he had. "Under these people's obstruction, the director was under enormous pressure. I felt I should not give him more worries, so I took the initiative to shelve the project."
"Fortunately, I still have another script. It was born from Brotherhood of Blades. From the perspective of institutional design, it tells the story of a eunuch. It can also be considered preparation for Brotherhood of Blades. That is, The Grand Director."
Now that he knew there was a project, Wu Jing breathed a sigh of relief. "Brother Shen, the letter you gave me mentioned a different direction for action films?"
Shen Shanden took out the storyboard sketches he had prepared long ago. "I believe House of Flying Daggers led Chinese kung fu down the wrong path. The direction Chinese kung fu should take is a Chinese martial arts outlook of 'the greatest heroes serve their country and their people.'"
"In action design, we need both Eastern martial arts forms and Hollywood experience. At the same time, we cannot make action actors risk their lives."
"I don't agree with the idea that the show is bigger than heaven. Working hard is work, but not treating people like people is not work. It is harming people."
"Through materials science, mechanics, mechanical design, and so on, we can empower props and action design, calculate the effects of force in attacks, and improve the realism of special effects."
"Combine scientific and engineering knowledge with the practical experience of action actors and stunt performers, then combine that with post-production effects."
"We must acknowledge the current situation. Right now, we are weak in special effects, so we should first do the former well."
"Take Mission: Impossible. Tom Cruise's action scenes are bold too, but they take less out of him than Jackie Chan's and cause less bodily harm. That is the direction we should learn from."
"We have excellent action techniques and a deep accumulation of martial arts knowledge. As long as we keep our heads down and work, we can do even better."
Wu Jing felt a sense of shame—shame over his education.
The direction Shen Shanden offered was something he had never considered.
He had always believed that Hong Kong Island was the last pure land of Kung Fu Film, but today, his understanding had been overturned.
Shen Shanden said, "Besides that, I think the most important thing is still to bring out our own characteristics and continue down the path of kung fu."
"Develop it thoroughly and solidly. One important direction is Realmification and tiering in martial arts combat power—clearer cultivation stages and clearer divisions of strength."
Upon hearing this, Wu Jing unconsciously pulled out a notebook.
Ma Youde, who was driving, glanced at the rearview mirror and nodded to himself.
It seemed Wu Jing had also discovered the boss's greatness. This man was not simple!
Wu Jing asked curiously, "How would that work?"
Shen Shanden said, "For The Grand Director, I have already designed a progression chart divided into five major realms."
"Jianghu Expert: Sensing Qi, Condensing Qi, Strengthening Qi. First sense inner qi, then condense it, then strengthen it."
"Third-rate Figure: Once inner qi has been strengthened, opening the Twelve Main Meridians counts as entering the path of cultivation. Then continue opening the Twelve Main Meridians. Opening them all makes one a peak Third-rate Figure, half a step into second-rate."
"Second-rate Master: Opening the Eight Extraordinary Meridians makes one a Second-rate Master. Continue opening the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Once both the main meridians and extraordinary meridians are fully opened, they form a dual circulation, making one half a step into first-rate, a quasi-first-rate expert."
"First-rate of the Current Age: Open the Ren and Du Meridians, connect the Eight Extraordinary Meridians with the Twelve Main Meridians, achieve a grand circulation, and become First-rate of the Current Age."
"Grandmaster: A legendary existence who has comprehended 'intent' beyond 'qi.'"
What Shen Shanden was describing was the future direction of martial arts novels.
Early martial arts novels had no clear rank divisions. In the future, if there were no rankings, readers would not read them.
This fully proved that the direction was progress.
And it should indeed be so. Put more grandly, it further refined the rules of martial arts.
Shen Shanden asked, "Brother Wu, do you know Dungeons & Dragons?"
Wu Jing shook his head.
Shen Shanden said, "Dungeons & Dragons. The rulebook design is very interesting, so you can take a look. We are refining the rules of martial arts and kung fu."
"Of course, that is not the key point. The most important thing is how to present it clearly and understandably."
"Brother Wu, have you seen The Terminator?"
Wu Jing nodded. "It was shocking, absolutely astonishing. Schwarzenegger's mechanical skeleton gave me quite a fright."
"Me too. I still remember the shock of seeing it for the first time."
Shen Shanden said, "I think this is the direction for kung fu—not slow motion, but moving toward realism. We should present 'inner force,' which is qi, like the T-800's endoskeleton."
"Let audiences feel that same sense of shock through our martial arts stories. I was thinking, when we saw The Terminator, we were amazed and became interested in science fiction."
"Through Chinese Cinema, we should also make audiences interested in martial arts, in the spirit of chivalry, and in our culture."
Wu Jing briefly imagined the scene Shen Shanden described, and his breathing grew heavier.
By the time they got home, it was already past eight.
The car finally turned onto Xueyuan Road and headed toward Jinxiu Zhichun Residential Area.
Zhou Qifeng had timed it perfectly and bought the groceries. The food was still hot when they ate.
Wu Jing drank quite a lot, and Shen Shanden discovered that his alcohol tolerance was terrifying.
"Brother Shen, I heard our crew's budget is limited. After hearing you speak, I finally understand. This is what making movies truly means. I don't need payment either. I've saved a little over the years. I'll invest one million."
Wu Jing was prepared to bring out his savings for marriage.
Under the table, Da Mimi kicked Shen Shanden. She could not bear to watch anymore.
Shen Shanden's expression changed slightly too. No, the young Wolf Warrior was just too honest.
Although the chance of losing money was small, if they did lose money, Shen Shanden felt he would be going even further down the path of not treating people like people.
He refused again and again.
"No, no, you mustn't."
Rewriting was too difficult. The new book rankings had dropped badly. Twenty days had been delayed. I'll keep fighting.
I'll gradually delete chapters related to the work so they do not affect new readers.
Before you continue